The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-16
THE NEW PENSION APPROPRIATIONS.

How the Annual Sums Paid for Pensions
Have Increased Within Seven Years.
Washington Special.
The pension appropriation bill, which the
House has sent to the Senate, amounts to &c.
247, 500 1t is larger even than the one passed by
the House last year, although that was SIS, O00,-
600 greater than the appropriation of the year
before. Yet it is routine measure, designed to
meet only expenditures made necessary under
existing laws. At the last session FIVE Or six
sions in bills that were passed by Congress and
and approved by the President.
The civil war was over by juno 30 1865. II
we divide the period of twenty-one years that
has since elapsed up to June 80, 1886, into three
portions of seven years each, we shall find that
during the first portion the disbursements on ac-
count Of pensions aggregated $175 541 355 40. or
an average, in round numbers, of about $25, 000.-
600 year. In the second portion the pension
payments aggregated $207, 019, 1853 81, or an aver
age of about 500, 500, 600 year. In the third por
tion they aggregated $41O, LAG. 845. 50, nearly
$50. 900, coo year.
Here, then, We find that although as the war
recedes it's survivors have been constantly de-
creased in number by death, during the last of
more than double that Of the first period, and
nearly double that of the second 1t may be
said that not till after the frst seven years sue
ceeding the war could the pension list be fully
made up and put in operation. This is true:
but fourteen years ought to have been long
enough to establish 1t; yet, while tie second
period of seven years increased the pension ex-
penditures less than $32, 600 in the aggre-
gate, the third period increased them more than
$2U3 600, 600 above the second.
If, also, we consider the current fseal year
for which appropriations were made last spring,
and the next fiscal year. for which the Hc1se
has just passed a BILL to be the beginning of a
fourth period, We shall find it starting out on a
still higher scale; for. although the dsburse-
ments are likely to be within the appropriations,
the fact that these last will average more than
$75, 000 coo each is significant
The experience Of this country, unlike that of
al. others, is that its war pension burdens had
become greater than ever fifteen or twenty
years after the close of the hostilitiss on which
they based. The fact is to be account ted
for in various ways. The tables in Commits
siener Black's'last report show a steady yearly
increase in disbursements ND to 1871. through
favorable decisions pending applications for
pensions and the adding of names to the list.
at that time the years disbursements reached
S33, or. 1888. This amount occasioned good
deal of talk but it was considered high-water
mark. The following year the payments fell off
$50 169 34l the year succeeding to $50 ,290.
By 1876 they had got down to $28, 351, $50, and
in two years later to SIG, 844, 4l6 That was the
natural order of decrease. corresponding TO the
But there the tide turned. During the Hayes
administration the arrears scheme was brought
up, ard was rushed through Congress Hayes
signed it. and from that moment the change
came. The year following the expenditures
jumped M to $33, 7S0. 527. Two years later they
were $50 626, 538; two years later still, $50 431
| 9I3 and SO the new standard of expenses came
| in Commissioner Black has said that the COS,
of the arrears act of the Hayes administration
had been fully $l79 600 GOO up to July l, 1885.
] 1t may be asked why with this expenditure
out OF the way, the pension burdens still in
creasing? The truth is that the arrears act il
not out of the way. It's additional estimated
cost, reckoned onward from July /, 1885, is te
be $50, 600 900. or $3.50, 000, 600 in all And YET
| there is now proposition before Congsess
strongly supported, to make another arrears
act which would cost at least SAG, 900, 600 add
tional. Almost more startling are~the schemes
to greatly increase the rates of all pensions TIL,
first great step in this direction was taken at tn.
last session. when Congress passed and the Pres
ident signed a bill adding so per cent as a pur.
J gratuity, to more than 100000 pensions aboy,